Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has expressed concern over a new trend in oil bunkering, saying children and women were being used as human shields at illegal refining camps.

The governor stated this during a meeting with first-class traditional rulers in the state and local council chairmen in the Government House, Yenagoa. He said the ugly situation was discovered by security operatives on reconnaissance operations, calling on traditional rulers to educate their subjects on the dangers of the illegal business to human health and the environment.He said: “The report I received recently is that at illegal bunkering sites, they now have children and women, which is a dimension I have never heard before.

“Sometimes, when the military are authorised to destroy those camps and they get there on reconnaissance, they discover that children and women are used to shiel those places. So, we all have to work together in our domains to educate our people.

“There was a situation where the military moved in and discovered that children and women were there and had to withdraw.” Diri urged the monarchs and council chairmen to take steps to curb the menace, saying this has occurred in Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor, Brass and Nembe council areas. He also charged the monarchs to report to him oil bunkering sites in their domains, stressing that the ugly trend could be addressed through collaborative efforts.

HOWEVER, in a bid to revamp Nigeria’s economy, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has given troops of the 6 Division Nigerian Army a one-month ultimatum to boost oil production in the Niger Delta region.

Addressing the troops in Port Harcourt during his visit to Rivers State, yesterday, Oluyede emphasised the critical role of the military in safeguarding the nation’s oil infrastructure, stressing that Nigeria’s economy relies heavily on oil which is the country’s economic mainstay.

The region, which is home to Nigeria’s oil-rich fields, has been plagued by pipeline vandalism, and other forms of criminality, resulting in significant losses to the nation’s economy.

Oluyede highlighted the consequences of failing to increase oil production, explaining that a decline in oil production would lead to a rise in the value of the dollar, resulting in higher prices of food and other essential items. This, in turn, would have a devastating impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

To achieve the goal of boosting oil production, the COAS tasked the troops with taking a more proactive approach to securing the oil infrastructure.
The COAS, who recognised the challenges faced by the troops in the region, emphasised the need for them to redouble their efforts to protect the oil infrastructure.
Douye Diri